“Trae Young was kicking their a**, no wonder they were hating him”: Lou Williams explains how the Hawks star embraced all the hate he received during the 2021 postseason

Lou Williams compliments Hawks youngster Trae Young for embracing all the hate he received during the 2021 postseason and leading the team to the Conference Finals.

This past 2020-2021 campaign Trae Young and his Hawks surprised each and every NBA fan when they had a deep playoffs run to the Eastern Conference Finals. During the course of their incredible Cinderella run, Atlanta even upset title-contenders Philadelphia 76ers.

However, it was their first-round battle with Julius Randle and his New York Knicks which was one of the most interesting encounters in the 2021 playoffs. The heavily contested and heated battle between these two teams was incredible despite ATL wrapping up the series in 5 games. What was more interesting tho, was Ice Trae’s fierce verbal altercations with the tough New York crowd.

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As soon as Trae set foot in the widely-considered Mecca of Basketball – the Madison Square Garden, things instantly got bitter between the two teams. To be more precise, the Knicks fans instantly picked to mock and talk-trash to the 1-time All-Star.

Lou Williams reveals how Trae Young is a hero in Atlanta

Over the course of the series, things would sometimes get way out of hand. There were times when the entire arena would chant “f**k Trae Young”, and there was also an instance when the sharpshooter was insulted by getting spat on by an ignorant fan.

Being the relentless competitor he is, Young didn’t keep shut and mind his business. Rather, he balled out on a different level altogether, while giving it back to the fans. Because of this, Young instantly hit the tag of NBA’s “villain”.

And veteran Lou Williams lauded the 23-year-old for embracing all the gate he received, not only during the first round but also the second round against the Sixers.

“He should. He’s very talented. He has the opportunity to lead a franchise. He’s very young. There’s nothing not to be excited about and not to embrace. He doesn’t play for the Knicks. He doesn’t play for the Sixers. So they should hate him. He was kicking their (expletive). It is what it is. And he’s embraced that, and he’s been a hero in Atlanta.”

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Entering his 4th season, Young will hope to lead the Hawks to similar successes they witnessed last year.